Device for opening containers



Dec. 29, 1964 LOUGHRY ETAL 3,163,060

DEVICE FOR OPENING CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 7, 1962 Fig 2 INVENTORS H. HAMPTON LOUGHRY BY OSBORNE c. oonsomua.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,660 DEVICE FUR ()PENING CONTAINERS Horton Hampton Loughry, Chester-land, and Qshorne C.

Dodson, In, Qhagrin Falis, Ohio, assignors to Loughborne Inc, Chesterland, Ohio, a corporation of Gino Filed Sept. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 222,041 1 Claim. (Cl. 8l3.3)

This invention relates to an improvement in devices for opening containers, or jars, bottles, etc. requiring a twisting action on the closure cap to open. Advan-tageously, the device is applicable to open any such closure cap gen erally irrespective of the material that it is made of.

Generally, containers having screw caps are opened manually, that is, by hand or by means of a hand operated, increasingly compressive cap gripping device. Either method is laborious and somewhat diti'icult inasmuch as the container is held in one hand while the other hand is used to do the untwisting of the closure. Not infrequently, the resistance of the closure member is too great for one individual and assistance must be sought to loosen it. Or, if the latter mentioned means are not carefully used, the closure becomes pinched, and if it is of metal, then its opening presents a difficult problem.

The improvement of this invention in such devices, to be more thoroughly described hereinafter, provides for means of securely gripping the closure member about its circumference and leaving both hands free to hold and turn the container, to thus loosen the tightened closure. A further advantage is that the pressure on the closure is substantially constant, not increased, as twisting is eifected. The improved device is adapted to be conveniently wall mounted, and horizontally arranged for use, then it can be dropped out of the way into a vertical or wall hugging position after use.

The mentioned and other advantages of the container opening device will be more apparent from the following description and the accompany drawing, where:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the container opening device;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 represents the gripping and, or, cutting means of the unit.

Referring to the drawing, the unscrewing device is shown in basic form and comprises an assembly of sections that may be Welded or otherwise secured to each other. The final unit has a main supporting frame iii secured to U-shaped section 11 through which extend welded studs (not shown) having wing-nuts 12. Section 11, in turn, is fastened to a wall mount 13 on a wall 14 as by crimping as shown, or it could be spot welded. The wing-nuts 12 permit loosening of the supporting frame 10 allowing the unit to pivot and to drop vertically out of the way of the user. At the support end of the frame 19 is a U-shaped section 9 to which one end of a tension spring 15 is attached and which section fits within U-section 11 and to which the studs (not shown) having wing nuts 12 are welded. Section 9 is pivotable within section 11 about the studs (not shown) having Wing nuts 12.

The other end of the frame support 10 is turned upwardly and forwardly to form a U-turn 17 through which a rod 16 is adapted to move being positioned therein in a suitable bearing material such as a nylon ring. There is attached to the rod 16 the other end of the tension spring 15. A pull on the rod 16 will extend the spring 15, and a release will permit it to compress to its normal state. A further member 19 is attached to the spring holding end of the pull rod 16. Member 19 has a depending part which rides on the support form ill and helps in maintaining the rigidity and direction of the pull rod 16.

In the depending part of the member 19, there is secured thereto a transverse U-shaped member 18, its side sections being downwardly disposed to form side supports for a serrated member 26 which extends therebetween. Opposing this holding serrated member 24 is a similar member 21 secured by welding, like the others throughout the assembly, to a supporting angular member 22 secured to part 9. The section 9 can also be provided with extensions 24 as a protecting means for the extension spring 15 upon retraction.

The serrated holding units 20, 21 are of a suitable thickness to provide for a good grasp of a container cover and for rigidity when a container is twisted for opening. The units 24), 21 can be straight or partially curved as 30, 31 shown in FIGURE 3. Where a plastic seal is to be severed, thinner serrated units are desirable since they can then be used as a severing means. Other materials can also be severed as tin, lead, etc. that are used as seals, as well as cork. Also, the unit can be provided with movable serrated units of a thickness desired for certain opening operations, a thinner set advantageously would be used for prying open vacuum lids, or for cutting of a plastic or soft metallic top or cork coverings.

What is claimed is:

A device for opening containers comprising, a rectangular base support, said base support having one end upturned at a right angle and having an opening in said upturned end for sliding movement of a rod serving as a handle, a member secured at right angles to the other end of said base support and extending above and below said support, a downwardly depending yoke positioned about said base support for sliding movement therealong, said handle attached to said sliding yoke for manual actuation thereof, serrated blades for seizing tops of containers mounted in opposition to each other one on the lower end of the base secured member and the other on the yoke, a tension spring joining said handle with the upper sec. tion of the base secured member urging said serrated blades toward each other, and a bracket adapted for wall mounting being pivotally attached to said base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,187,347 6/l6 Lear 301O 1,618,457 2/27 McGrath 30-11 1,953,412 4/34 Killman 813.3 2,093,658 9/37 Hildenbrand 8 l3 .42 2,566,656 9/51 David 269254 X 2,749,784 6/56 Hrcbicek 81-342 2,933,957 4/60 Wendlandt.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

